US4545862A - Desalination device and process - Google Patents

Desalination device and process Download PDF

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US4545862A
US4545862A US06/354,140 US35414082A US4545862A US 4545862 A US4545862 A US 4545862A US 35414082 A US35414082 A US 35414082A US 4545862 A US4545862 A US 4545862A
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Prior art keywords
distillate
feed
membrane
hot
sheet
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US06/354,140
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English (en)
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Wilbert L. Gore
Robert W. Gore
David W. Gore
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WL Gore and Associates Inc
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WL Gore and Associates Inc
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Priority to US06/354,140 priority Critical patent/US4545862A/en
Assigned to W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC., A CORP. OF DE. reassignment W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC., A CORP. OF DE. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: GORE, ROBERT W., GORE, WILBERT L., GORE, DAVID W.
Priority to JP58018263A priority patent/JPS58202089A/ja
Priority to GB08305344A priority patent/GB2116057B/en
Priority to DE8383101897T priority patent/DE3366846D1/de
Priority to AT83101897T priority patent/ATE22812T1/de
Priority to EP83101897A priority patent/EP0088315B1/en
Priority to DK98783A priority patent/DK98783A/da
Priority to NZ203476A priority patent/NZ203476A/en
Priority to AU12053/83A priority patent/AU554562B2/en
Priority to GR70689A priority patent/GR78460B/el
Priority to CA000422931A priority patent/CA1203488A/en
Priority to BE0/210261A priority patent/BE896084A/fr
Priority to FI830733A priority patent/FI78442C/fi
Priority to CH1181/83A priority patent/CH653907A5/fr
Priority to ES520318A priority patent/ES8403324A1/es
Priority to NO830754A priority patent/NO164280C/no
Priority to IT19920/83A priority patent/IT1160503B/it
Priority to FR838303608A priority patent/FR2522520B1/fr
Priority to SU833560201A priority patent/SU1286097A3/ru
Priority to ES524784A priority patent/ES524784A0/es
Publication of US4545862A publication Critical patent/US4545862A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Assigned to GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. reassignment GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: W.L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC., A CORP. OF DE
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Assigned to W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC. reassignment W. L. GORE & ASSOCIATES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: GORE ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS, INC.
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01D—SEPARATION
    • B01D61/00—Processes of separation using semi-permeable membranes, e.g. dialysis, osmosis or ultrafiltration; Apparatus, accessories or auxiliary operations specially adapted therefor
    • B01D61/36—Pervaporation; Membrane distillation; Liquid permeation
    • B01D61/364—Membrane distillation
    • B01D61/3641—Membrane distillation comprising multiple membrane distillation steps
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S159/00—Concentrating evaporators
    • Y10S159/27—Micropores
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
    • Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y10S203/00—Distillation: processes, separatory
    • Y10S203/23—Methanol

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an improved process and apparatus for the distillation of aqueous liquids and is particularly useful in the distillation of sea water to produce fresh water.
  • Distillation is a process for vaporizing a liquid and then condensing the vapor. It is useful in separating volatile portions of a mixture from non-volatile or less volatile components.
  • a practical distillation device must effect this separation at a low cost in both energy and in capital. Only when both of these cost elements are low is a distillation device or process likely to be useful. Energy efficiency is commonly measured as a "performance ratio", which is the amount of latent heat recovered divided by the amount of heat applied to the system. A high performance ratio in a device implies low energy cost. Typical performance ratios for commercial distillation plants are in the range of six to twelve. Capital cost depends on the cost of component materials, the amount of material needed, and the complexity of the system. Currently available distillation systems are expensive, because they require exotic alloys and are mechanically complex.
  • Henderyckx suggests forcing the distillate out by air pressure or by gravity.
  • Considerable air pressure would be required if the gaps were thin, and the flow of air would be expected to blow out a good deal of warm water vapor as well as distillate and thus lower the productivity.
  • Use of gravity would require large vertical spaces increasing the size and thus capital cost of the apparatus.
  • This calculation does not include temperature drops across stagnant brine layers, across the distillate layer, across the cellulose acetate membrane, and across the condensor. Even if these other deleterious factors are not considered, the productivity is only one-twentieth that of a practical device. To be useful, a desalination process must demonstrate both good productivity and good energy efficiency.
  • a process and apparatus are provided for distilling a feed liquid containing a solute (e.g., salt) while conserving latent heat and thereby achieving high productivity and high performance ratios not attained in the prior art.
  • a solute e.g., salt
  • hot salt water is passed rapidly across one side of a hydrophobic, microporous membrane.
  • Water vapor but not liquid water passes through the membrane and condenses at the other side of the membrane in a chamber formed on one side by the membrane and on the other by a cool condensor sheet.
  • the distillate formed flows in a thin layer in a direction concurrent to that of the hot salt water, and is drained at the same end of the device as is the hot (now cooled) salt water.
  • the distillate gives up its heat to the condensor, which in turn is cooled by a rapid flow of salt water on the other side which moves in a direction counter to the flows of the hot salt water and the distillate.
  • This cool salt water emerges from the cooling chamber quite warm, and after further heating by means of an external heater is returned to the membrane distillation module to become the hot salt water flow.
  • the apparatus for the continuous distillation of a hot feed of an aqueous liquid containing a salt or other low volatility solute comprises a thermally conductive, water vapor impermeable sheet forming one longitudinal wall of a distillate collecting chamber; a hydrophobic microporous membrane forming an opposing longitudinal wall of the chamber; means for flowing the hot aqueous feed rapidly past, and in intimate contact with, the surface of the microporous membrane opposite the distillate collecting chamber, water vapor from the hot feed diffusing through the microporous membrane into the distillate collecting chamber; means for cooling the surface of the impermeable sheet opposite the distillate collecting chamber, the cooled sheet causing condensation of the diffused water vapor in the collecting chamber; and means for stripping condensed distillate from the distillate collecting chamber, the stripping means including (a) means using forces exerted by the flowing hot feed acting across the microporous membrane on the distillate sandwiched between the porous membrane and the imper
  • the cooling means includes means for flowing cold feed in a direction counter to the hot feed flow direction past the surface of the impermeable sheet opposite the collecting chamber, the cold feed temperature being low relative to that of the hot feed flowing past the microporous membrane, wherein the apparatus further includes heater means operatively connected between the cold feed flow means and the hot feed flow means for receiving the cold feed after having cooled the impermeable membrane, heating the received cold feed to the temperature of the hot feed flowing past the microporous membrane, and releasing the heated feed for flow past the microporous membrane.
  • the distillate forcing means includes the impermeable sheet being made more stiff against bending in the direction normal to the sheet surface than the microporous membrane, the impermeable sheet and the microporous membrane being positioned for surface-contacting relationship when no liquid distillate is present in the collecting chamber, and a pressure gradient being maintained in the hot feed flow past the membrane with pressure decreasing along the flow direction, the microporous membrane locally deforming in the normal direction relative to this impermeable sheet during distillation operation to allow accumulation and passage of liquid distillate.
  • the method of continuously distilling a hot aqueous feed containing a salt or other low volatility solute comprises the steps of flowing the hot feed past one side of a microporous membrane; diffusing water vapor through the membrane; condensing the diffused water vapor using an impermeable membrane positioned on the side of the microporous membrane opposite the hot feed, the condensed vapor collecting in the chamber defined in part by the microporous membrane and the impermeable sheet; stripping the condensed and collected distillate from the chamber using forces exerted by the flowing hot feed flow acting across the microporous membrane on the distillate sandwiched between the membrane and the sheet, the forces causing distillate flow in the same direction as hot feed flow; and draining the flowing distillate from the collecting chamber along the direction of hot feed flow.
  • FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a linear distillation module made in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 1B is a schematic detail of a part of the embodiment shown in 1A;
  • FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a spiral-shaped distillation module made in accordance with the present invention
  • FIG. 2B is a schematic of the part of the spiral module not shown in 2A.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic detail of a part of the spiral module shown in 2A.
  • the apparatus for the continuous distillation of a feed of an aqueous liquid containing a salt or other non-volatile solute comprises a thermally conductive, water vapor impermeable sheet forming one longitudinal wall of a distillate collecting chamber.
  • a thermally conductive, water vapor impermeable sheet 12 forming one longitudinal wall of a distillate collecting chamber.
  • water vapor impermeable sheet 12 is positioned on one side of distillate collecting chamber 14 so as to form one wall of the chamber.
  • sheet 12 is made of a metal sheet or a thin plastic film such as high density polyethylene with a thickness ranging from about 0.001 inch to about 0.005 inch.
  • microporous membrane 16 is provided and positioned to form an opposing longitudinal wall of the distillate collecting chamber.
  • microporous membrane 16 is shown forming the other longitudinal wall of distillation collection chamber 14.
  • microporous membrane 16 is a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane having a thickness of from about 0.001 inch to about 0.005 inch and having a void fraction of from about 80% to about 90%.
  • PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
  • means are provided for flowing the hot aqueous feed rapidly past, and in intimate contact with, the surface of the microporous membrane opposite the distillate collecting chamber.
  • opposing longitudinal wall 18 is provided facing microporous membrane 16 and together form hot feed flow chamber 20.
  • Longitudinal wall 18 can be fabricated from any material having sufficient rigidity to contain and channel the hot feed flow.
  • longitudinal wall 18 can be replaced with another microporous membrane similar to microporous membrane 16 which, with an associated condensor sheet can form another, parallel distillate collection chamber to be fed from the same hot feed flowing in chamber 20.
  • the spiral distillation apparatus pictured in FIG. 2A to be discussed hereinafter, essentially utilizes such a construction.
  • pump 22 operatively connected to provide hot feed flow in one longitudinal direction through inlet 24 into chamber 20 and then rapidly past microporous membrane 16 (left to right in FIG. 1, as shown by the arrows). It is important that the hot feed intimately contact the surface of membrane 16 for reasons that will become apparent from the succeeding discussion.
  • Pump 22 and inlet 24 are conventional and one of ordinary skill in the art would readily be able to select and adapt suitable components for use in the apparatus of the present invention.
  • the hot aqueous feed flows into chamber 20 and rapidly past microporous membrane 16. Water vapor evaporating from the feed diffuses through microporous membrane 16 into distillate collection chamber 14 where it is condensed and collected.
  • means are provided for cooling the impermeable sheet opposite the distillate collection chamber.
  • longitudinal wall 28 is provided facing condensor sheet 12 on the side opposite microporous membrane 16. Wall 28, together with sheet 12, forms chamber 30 for holding a cold fluid used to cool condensor sheet 12.
  • the cold fluid is aqueous feed at a lower temperature than the hot feed flowing in chamber 20, and that the cold feed is flowing in a direction counter to the hot feed flow direction in chamber 20.
  • the vapor diffusing through microporous membrane 16 condenses, at least initially, on condensor sheet 12.
  • vapor may condense in the liquid distillate film, but it is understood that the heat of vaporization is intended to be eventually transferred through the condensor sheet 12 to the cold feed flowing in chamber 30.
  • the condensed distillate in collection chamber 14 is always physically contacted on one side by membrane 16 and on the other by condensor sheet 12 and is, in effect, "sandwiched" between membrane 16 and sheet 12.
  • pump 32 is positioned to receive cold feed from a source (not shown) and is operatively connected to distillation unit 10 to introduce the cold feed to chamber 30 through inlet 34. After flowing past condensor sheet 12 the cold feed (now warm) exits chamber 30 through outlet 36. Preferably, the warmed cold feed exiting from chamber 30 at outlet 36 is subsequently heated, such as by heater 38 as is shown in FIG. 1A, and is used to augment or provide the entire amount of the hot feed for introduction to chamber 20 via pump 22 and inlet 24.
  • distillation units or modules 10 shown in FIG. 1A can be used as series or parallel stages in distillation apparatus of various configurations. For instance, as depicted schematically by broken lines in FIG. 1A, it may be advantageous to form longitudinal wall 28 out of the same type of material used for condensor sheet 12 and use wall 28 for the condensor sheet of another distillation module, cooled by the same cold feed flow stream.
  • various flow inter-connections can be used between the several stages depending upon the relative temperatures of the hot and cold feed flows exiting and entering the individual units in order to achieve efficient utilization and conservation of the heat energy used to vaporize the aqueous liquid.
  • microporous membrane 16 is mounted so that the membrane 16 contacts the surface of condensor sheet 12 when no distillate is present in chamber 14, such as during start-up or when the distillate film has been momentarily stripped away from a particular location on the condensor sheet 12 by the action of the flowing hot feed.
  • microporous membrane 16 and condensor sheet 12 are selected such that condensor sheet 12 is stiffer in bending in the direction normal to the surface of condensor sheet 12 than is microporous membrane 16.
  • the difference in comparative bending stiffnesses causes the microporous membrane to deform locally in a direction normal to the surface of condensor sheet 12 to accommodate an accumulation of condensed distillate while the condensor sheet 12 remains comparatively undeformed from its position prior to the accumulation of condensed distillate.
  • the stripping means includes a pressure gradient being provided along the direction of hot feed flow in chamber 20, the pressure decreasing from inlet 24 to outlet 26.
  • the cross-sectional dimensions of chamber 20 can be selected in regard to the desired volumetric flow rate of the hot feed through chamber 20 and the capacity of pump 22 chosen to provide the desired pressure gradient.
  • means are provided in channel 20 to provide additional turbulence and mixing in the flowing hot feed, such as by spacer 50 shown in FIG. 1B.
  • Spacer 50 includes an interconnected network of longitudinal strands 52 and transverse strands 54.
  • Longitudinal strands 52 serve to separate membrane 16 and wall 18, so as to provide flow spaces for the feed in chamber 20, while strands 54 serve to position strands 52.
  • Transverse strands 54 are considerably smaller in diameter than strands 52. The reduced size of strands 54 is necessary to allow the formation of collection chamber 14 by deformation of membrane 16 while simultaneously increasing the turbulence along chamber 20.
  • the dimensions of spacer 50 should be selected not to unduly increase the pressure gradient as an overall decrease in efficiency could result due to the necessity for increased pumping power and thickness of condensor sheet 12 to withstand any static pressure imbalance between chambers 20 and 30.
  • Spacer 50 also functions to increase mixing in chamber 20 and prevent the buildup of stagnant cool layers of feed adjacent membrane 16.
  • a channel spacer which was found to perform adequately in distillation modules made in accordance with this invention is one made from back-to-back layers of Conwed®XN2170 netting, a construction which exhibits the cross section shown in FIG. 1B. Hot feed and distillate flow into the page in this perspective.
  • the distillate flowing in the collecting chamber is drained along the direction of the hot feed flow.
  • outlet 40 is provided to drain the distillate from collecting chamber 14.
  • Outlet 40 is positioned at the longitudinal end of distillate collection chamber 14 in the direction of the hot feed flow in chamber 20. It has been found that this location for the drainage for distillate collection chamber 14 acting together with the arrangement and construction of the microporous membrane 16, condensor sheet 12, and flow direction of the hot feed in chamber 20 act to provide a surprising and unexpectedly high productivity in terms of the quantity of distillate produced, the heat energy expended for vaporization, and overall size of the distillation unit. Although the physical phenomenon responsible for the surprising and unexpectedly high productivity is only partially understood at the present time, the following discussion will enable one of ordinary skill in the art to appreciate the phenomenon and understand the importance of these features to the operation of the invention.
  • distillation module 10 This "milking" of the distillate, where relatively large amounts of distillate are being produced, was found to take the form of a series of ripples or waves in membrane 16 which actually can be observed if the wall 18 is transparent.
  • the distillate thus accumulates at the low pressure end of chamber 14 and is drained via outlet 40.
  • the somewhat concentrated and cooled “hot” feed leaves distillation module 10 at outlet 26 and is either discarded or partially recycled to inlet 34.
  • the method and apparatus for removing the distillate by stripping using the forces induced by the flowing feed is important in determining the practicality of the distillation device of the present invention.
  • the apparatus and process of this invention results in a distillate layer which is minimally thin.
  • a thin distillate layer ensures good transfer of latent heat to condensor sheet 12, thereby enhancing the temperature drop across membrane 16 and increasing productivity. Because the distillate always is in intimate contact with condensor sheet 12, the distillate itself emerges from the device cool, having given up its heat energy to the cold feed flowing in chamber 30. Very high performance ratios are thus possible with devices made in accordance with the present invention.
  • microporous membrane 16 is suspended between two bodies of liquid (i.e., the heated feed and the distillate) which have essentially equal static pressures across membrane 16 at any given point along the hot feed flow direction, although a pressure gradient exists along the hot feed flow direction as explained previously. This results in minimal mechanical stress to microporous membrane 16, because it is not resisting a large hydrostatic head. Although in general the static pressures in the chambers 30 and 20 are not equal, any load caused by non-equal pressures is carried almost entirely by condensor sheet 12 because of the slack in membrane 16.
  • condensor sheet 12 in conjunction with highly flexible microporous membrane 16 may result in some bulging or movement of condensor sheet 12 in response to any difference in the static pressure between chamber 20 and chamber 30 in the distillation unit shown in FIG. 1A.
  • the ends of the sheet 12 and membrane 16 are generally constrained against movement by the mounting arrangement (not shown) with the result that the pressure induced forces must be carried by the sheet 12 stressed in tension.
  • the condensor sheet 12 carries essentially the entire hydrostatic load, leaving membrane 16 relatively untensioned and comparatively pliable and flexible.
  • microporous hydrophobic membrane 16 should be thin and highly porous in order to facilitate diffusion of water vapor. It should exhibit low thermal conductivity to minimize conductive heat flow from the heated feed to the cooled distillate. Pore size should be small enough to resist entry of water at feed static pressures over long periods of time, at elevated temperatures. The membrane should be strong and abrasion-resistant even at temperatures of 100° C., and should resist chemical and biological attack. Flexibility is necessary so that it can move to accommodate distillate flow.
  • the condensor sheet 12 should be impermeable, heat conductive, resistant to corrosion by salt water and to biological attack, and low in cost. It may be a laminated material, such as polyethylene-coated aluminum sheet. Because the condensor sheet 12 must carry virtually all the load resulting from pressure differentials within the device, it must show high tensile strength.
  • the test apparatus differed from that of FIG. 1A in that an additional distillate drainage port was provided at the high pressure end of chamber 20, between outlet 36 and inlet 24. When this still was run with two distillate ports provided, 98 percent of the distillate drained out of the port corresponding to outlet 40 nearest the hot feed outlet 26. When the port corresponding to outlet 40 was deliberately blocked, the distillate production of the device decreased from 12.4 ml/min. to 4.7 ml/min. In looking through the clear plastic walls of the device, the microporous membrane appeared bloated. Opening of the blocked port resulted in a gush of distillate exiting under pressure. It is surprising, then, to discover the importance of draining the distillate in the same direction as the hot salt water feed flow.
  • a major disadvantage of a linear device such as that depicted in FIG. 1A is that lengths of a hundred feet or more become awkward and expensive to insulate. Moreover, the pressures necessary to drive the feed and ensure good mixing may require elaborate bracing in a linear embodiment of the invention.
  • a preferred distillation module of this invention uses a spiral-wrapped geometry such as the one designated generally as 110 and depicted in FIG. 2A. In the succeeding discussion, elements of spiral module 110 that correspond functionally with elements in the previously discussed linear module 10 (FIG. 1A) have been given like reference numbers but with the base 100.
  • Cold feed is pumped into the module at inlet 134 and spirals into the center through the chamber 130, picking up heat from condensor sheets 112a and 112b as it flows.
  • This cold feed now warmed by the recovered latent heat of condensation of the distillate, exits from the module at outlet 136, is heated further by heater 138, and then is returned to the chamber 120 via inlet 124.
  • a pump such as pump 122 shown in FIG. 2B can be located in the flow connection between outlet 136 and inlet 124 to provide a driving force for the hot and cold feed.
  • the hot feed flow then spirals outward through chamber 120, which is lined on both sides with hydrophobic microporous membranes 116a, 116b.
  • distillate collects in the parallel distillate chambers 114a, 114b formed by membranes 116a, 116b and the adjacent respective condensor sheets 112a, 112b.
  • This distillate spirals outward in two thin flows, milked along by the hot feed flow in chamber 120, and collects in distillate headers 140a, 140b from which it is withdrawn from spiral module 110.
  • the somewhat concentrated and cooled hot feed exiting outlet 126 is either discarded, pumped as feed to another module, or partially recycled to inlet 134.
  • Twin-membrane and twin-condensor distillation unit configurations such as shown in FIG. 2A can offer a space savings, since only half the number of channels are needed for a given area of microporous membrane. Moreover, the length of the channels necessary to achieve a given performance ratio need be only about half as great as for distillation modules such as module 10 shown in FIG. 1A.
  • the height of the spiral-wound module as measured along the axis of the spiral does not effect appreciably the performance ratio, but only the amount of feed required, the amount of heat required, and the amount of distillate produced, all of which scale linearly with height.
  • the performance ratio increases for a given operating temperature range and feed flow rate as additional wraps are added to the module. But additional wraps add additional length which acts to decrease the amount of distillate produced per unit area of membrane per unit time. Increasing the feed flow rate for a given module working between set temperatures increases the productivity at the expense of performance ratio.
  • these tradeoffs must be weighed when a distillation module is designed so as to provide the best performance for a given need.
  • the productivity and performance ratio tradeoff allows for a certain flexibility in operation of the module so that unusual periods of demand for distillate can be temporarily met without large capital expenditures.
  • the pressure of the hot feed in chamber 120 is not the same as that of the cold feed in chamber 130.
  • spacers such as spacer 150 shown in the section of hot feed chamber 120 depicted in FIG. 3, can be used in one or preferably both of the feed flow chambers. As in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, these spacers serve the added function of acting as turbulence promoters. Also, better mixing is accomplished with spacer 150.
  • Spacer 150 includes an interconnected network of longitudinal strands 152 and transverse strands 154.
  • Longitudinal strands 152 serve to hold apart the microporous membranes 116a, 116b and condensor sheets 112a, 112b, so as to provide flow spaces for the feed in chamber 120.
  • Transverse strands 154 are considerably smaller in diameter than longitudinal strands 152, and serve simultaneously to hold longitudinal strands 152 in their places, to provide room for local deformation of membranes 116a, 116b, to form distillate chambers 114a and 114b, to increase the turbulence in chamber 120, and to promote mixing of the salt water feed in the hot feed flow chamber 120.
  • Chamber spacers for the hot feed chamber preferably should be made of materials such as plastic which are resistant to corrosion and which do not hydrolize or collapse in hot aqueous solutions.
  • Longitudinal strands 152 should either be rubbery or very smooth so as to prevent puncture of membranes 116a, 116b.
  • Cold feed chamber spacers (not shown), which do not come into contact with membranes 116a, 116b, can have the configuration of spacer 150 shown in FIG. 3 or the configuration of conventional spacers such as Vexar® made by the DuPont Co.
  • a membrane distillation module similar in configuration to spiral module 110 depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3 was constructed using salt water as a feed and chamber 120, 130 lengths of 64 feet.
  • the microporous membranes and condensor sheets were six inches wide, so that the overall height of the module was about six inches.
  • Condensor sheets 112a, 112b were 0.008" thick 1145 alloy H-19 aluminum, and membranes 116a, 116b were 0.004" thick porous PTFE membranes each with an effective pore size of about 0.45 microns available from W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. under the designation 5C.2.
  • the hot and cold feed chambers both utilized as a spacer two back-to-back layers of Conwed XN-2170 netting.
  • the hot and cold feed chambers were each 0.17" thick, and the overall module diameter came to 20 inches.
  • a single PTFE membrane strip was first joined at the edges to a single aluminum strip using double-stick tape. The temporarily joined strips were then folded so that the membrane faced itself, the folded assembly was loosely rolled to produce the spiral, and the header connections made. The bottom and top of the module were then potted with epoxy so that the potting layer extended 1/2 inch into the top and bottom, leaving five inches of effective membrane and condensor width.
  • Test 101-0 ran 0.75 gpm of 4 percent salt water feed at 27.6° C. into the test module via inlet 134 in FIG. 2.
  • the feed emerged from outlet 136 at 81.7° C., after which the feed was heated by electrical resistance heaters to 85.6° C. and pumped back into the module through inlet 124.
  • the salt water emerged from the hot feed chamber through outlet 126 at a temperature of 31.6° C.
  • 659 milliliters of distillate showing a conductivity of 15 micromhos/cm were drained from the distillate headers 140a, 140b.
  • the productivity was then 1.56 gal/ft 2 day, or 83.5 gal/day.
  • the performance ratio was 11. This performance ratio could have been increased by using longer flow channels. Both productivity and performance ratio could have been increased by raising the heater temperature.
  • the combined high productivity ahd high performance ratio shown here is well beyond that demonstrated by the prior art in membrane distillation, and makes membrane distillation a useful means of desalination.
  • Spacers for the salt water channels which enhance mixing, resist compression of the channel, and, for the hot salt water channel, allow free flow of the distillate in a direction concurrent to the flow of hot salt water.
  • this invention can be adapted to many different applications, including situations where the cost of energy may be low, as with solar heaters or energy conversion systems using oceanic temperature gradients, and situations where the heat supplied is expensive as, for example, with electrical heaters or combustion of fossil fuels.
  • the present invention which can be used to construct devices for distilling salt water to produce fresh water is an important breakthrough in this field.
  • the performance of present invention is many-fold greater than that of former devices which failed to bring together the elements necessary for a commercially useful membrane distillation device.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Separation Using Semi-Permeable Membranes (AREA)
  • Vaporization, Distillation, Condensation, Sublimation, And Cold Traps (AREA)
  • General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)
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  • Preparation Of Clay, And Manufacture Of Mixtures Containing Clay Or Cement (AREA)
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US06/354,140 1981-03-17 1982-03-05 Desalination device and process Expired - Fee Related US4545862A (en)

Priority Applications (20)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US06/354,140 US4545862A (en) 1981-03-17 1982-03-05 Desalination device and process
JP58018263A JPS58202089A (ja) 1982-03-05 1983-02-08 低揮発性溶質を含む熱水性液を連続的に蒸留する方法および装置
GB08305344A GB2116057B (en) 1982-03-05 1983-02-25 Desalination device and process
DE8383101897T DE3366846D1 (en) 1982-03-05 1983-02-26 Desalination device and process
AT83101897T ATE22812T1 (de) 1982-03-05 1983-02-26 Entsalzungsgeraet und -verfahren.
EP83101897A EP0088315B1 (en) 1982-03-05 1983-02-26 Desalination device and process
DK98783A DK98783A (da) 1982-03-05 1983-02-28 Fremgangsmaade og apparat til kontinuerlig destillation
FI830733A FI78442C (fi) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Avsaltningsfoerfarande och -anordning.
IT19920/83A IT1160503B (it) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Procedimento ed apparecchiatura di dissalazione di liquidi
GR70689A GR78460B (da) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04
CA000422931A CA1203488A (en) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Desalination device and process
BE0/210261A BE896084A (fr) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Appareil et procede de distillation continue de liquides aqueux
NZ203476A NZ203476A (en) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Desalination by distillation using microporous membrane
CH1181/83A CH653907A5 (fr) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Installation pour la distillation continue de liquides aqueux.
ES520318A ES8403324A1 (es) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Un metodo y un aparato para la destilacion continua de una alimentacion acuosa caliente que contiene una sal u otro soluto de baja volatilidad.
NO830754A NO164280C (no) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Fremgangsmaate til kontinuerlig destillasjon av en foedevaeske og apparat til utfoerelse av fremgangsmaaten.
AU12053/83A AU554562B2 (en) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Distillation process and apparatus
FR838303608A FR2522520B1 (fr) 1982-03-05 1983-03-04 Appareil et procede de distillation continue de liquides aqueux
SU833560201A SU1286097A3 (ru) 1982-03-05 1983-03-05 Устройство дл осуществлени процесса непрерывной дистилл ции
ES524784A ES524784A0 (es) 1982-03-05 1983-08-05 Un metodo para la destilacion continua de una alimentacion acuosa caliente que contiene una sal u otro soluto de baja volatilidad

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US24472481A 1981-03-17 1981-03-17
US06/354,140 US4545862A (en) 1981-03-17 1982-03-05 Desalination device and process

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US24472481A Continuation-In-Part 1980-04-25 1981-03-17

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JP (1) JPS58202089A (da)
AT (1) ATE22812T1 (da)
AU (1) AU554562B2 (da)
BE (1) BE896084A (da)
CA (1) CA1203488A (da)
CH (1) CH653907A5 (da)
DE (1) DE3366846D1 (da)
DK (1) DK98783A (da)
ES (2) ES8403324A1 (da)
FI (1) FI78442C (da)
FR (1) FR2522520B1 (da)
GB (1) GB2116057B (da)
GR (1) GR78460B (da)
IT (1) IT1160503B (da)
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AU1205383A (en) 1983-09-08
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ES520318A0 (es) 1984-03-16
FR2522520B1 (fr) 1990-02-09
CA1203488A (en) 1986-04-22
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CH653907A5 (fr) 1986-01-31

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